Women’s soccer opens 2019 schedule on Friday

ORANGE, Calif. - The Chapman University women's soccer team opens its 2019 season this weekend with a pair of matches in Oregon this weekend. With eight starters returning to the team, the Panthers will look to build on last year's 10-10 finish.

Chapman was picked to finish seventh in a recent poll of the SCIAC coaches, matching its finish from 2018. Academic All-American and three-time All-SCIAC defender Faith Holloway is back to lead the team for her senior season. She'll anchor in experienced back line with four returning players who made at least seven starts last year and allowed just 21 goals in 20 matches.

Sophomore Kelsey Bland will add to the experienced group in the back as she takes her spot in goal after posting a 0.79 goals against average as a freshman in 2018. She made 58 saves and started in 18 matches with six shutouts.

The midfield lost a pair of All-SCIAC selections but return starters Jessie Roux and Rory Biles for their sophomore campaigns. Former NAIA All-American Anna Montemor will also join the midfield after transferring to Chapman this fall for her junior season. She scored 15 goals with eight assists in two years at Vanguard.

The Panthers' leading scorer from 2018 returns up top in All-SCIAC junior forward Emmie Farber. Farber scored eight goals – half of which were game-winners – and added one assist as a sophomore. She is the only Panther to score more than two goals last year returning to the pitch in 2019.

In 2018, 13 different players scored a goal for Chapman with Farber's eight leading the way. Eight of the Panthers' 10 wins came via a shutout, including five of their six wins in the SCIAC schedule. They were also shutout six times in conference play but will look for more consistent scoring in 2019 with proven scorers in Farber and Montemor.

The season begins at Linfield on Friday before Chapman returns home to take on reigning NEWMAC champion MIT on Tuesday Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.

By Steven Olveda
Sports Information Director

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